The Basics

Game 1 – September 4, 2021

#17 R-MC (0-0) at Dickinson (0-0)

Time: 1:30 p.m.

Venue: Carlisle, Pa. (Biddle Field) 

Links to:     Video     Audio with Rob Witham & Marty Wilson     Live Stats

Series vs. Dickinson

R-MC is 4-0 all-time against DC. The Yellow Jackets won at Dickinson 27-6 in 1954 and 19-0 in 1955 in Ashland. The series resumed in 2016, with R-MC winning 51-0 at Dickinson. The Yellow Jackets won 41-6 in 2017 on Day Field in Ashland.

09/02/17          H         W        41-6

09/03/16          A         W        51-0

10/29/55          H         W        19-0

10/30/54          A         W        27-6

Head Coach Pedro Arruza

Pedro Arruza is in his 18th season as head coach at Randolph-Macon. He has compiled an overall record of 104-66 (.612) and is second on R-MC's career list with those 104 victories. Ted Keller tops the career wins list with 105 victories in 18 seasons (1964-81). Over the past 11 seasons, the Yellow Jackets are 77-32 (.706) under Arruza. Arruza has been named ODAC Coach of the Year four times (2008, 2016, 2018, 2020).

Win Streak

The Yellow Jackets bring a seven-game win streak into the 2021 campaign. R-MC won its final two games of 2019 and went 5-0 this past spring.

All-Americans

This past spring, kicker Chris Vidal and offensive lineman Will Jackson were All-America Second Team by D3football.com.

Last Meeting

R-MC went 6 for 6 in Red Zone scoring chances and the defense held Dickinson to a pair of field goals in five trips to the Red Zone in a 41-6 victory at Day Field. R-MC outgained the Red Devils by just 29 yards (364-335) but put up five TDs along with two field goals. The Yellow Jackets took the opening kickoff and drove 60 yards in 11 plays for the game's first score, a three-yard run by Tre Frederick as R-MC took a 7-0 lead. DC also had an impressive first drive, moving 61 yards on 16 plays to the R-MC 9. A missed field goal kept it a 7-0 game. R-MC took 14 plays to go 73 yards to the DC 7 on its second possession, where Chris Vidal nailed a 24-yard field goal to give the home team a 10-0 lead with 11:37 left in the first half. After the Yellow Jacket defense forced a three-and-out, a shanked punt went out of bounds at the DC 32. Burke Estes hit Sean McDonald with a four-yard TD pass as the lead grew to 17-0 with 9:19 left in the period. The Devils drove to the R-MC 10, but settled for a 26-yard field goal to make it a 17-3 contest at halftime. DC held a 183-179 advantage in total yards in the first half. The R-MC defense forced a three-and-out to start the third quarter. The Yellow Jackets drove to the DC 18, where Vidal booted a 35-yard field goal to push the advantage to 20-3. Following a strong kickoff return, the Devils pushed to the R-MC 19 before a 36-yard field goal narrowed the gap to 20-6. The Yellow Jackets used nine plays to go 72 yards on their next possession, as JP Redmond scored from three-yards out to give R-MC a 27-6 lead late in the third quarter. After Brian Sullivan forced a fumble and Tavian Anderson recovered on the DC 30, Frederick found pay dirt from 21 yards out to give R-MC a 34-6 advantage. Billy Mullen forced and recovered a fumble on the DC 20. Marcus Bazala scored on the next carry from 20 yards out as the Yellow Jackets went up 41-6 near the midway point of the final period. Estes completed 17 of 22 passes for 191 yards and one touchdown. Frederick gained 97 yards on 17 carries with two TDs. Calvin Whitehead paced the       R-MC defense with 12 tackles, including seven solo stops and one tackle for loss.

Head North to Pennsylvania

The Yellow Jackets are 42-32-2 all-time against schools from the state of Pennsylvania. R-MC's last trip to PA was on Nov. 24, 2018, a 35-6 loss at Muhlenberg in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs.   R-MC's last regular-season trip to Pennsylvania was on Sept. 3, 2016, a 51-0 win at Dickinson to kick off the 2016 campaign. One of the biggest wins for the Yellow Jackets in the state of PA came on Oct. 10, 1981, a 10-0 win at Loch Haven, ranked No. 10 in NCAA Division II. R-MC head coach Pedro Arruza is 1-3 in the state of Pennsylvania.

11/24/18 at Muhlenberg             L 6-35

9/3/16  at Dickinson                   W 51-0

9/11/04 at Waynesburg              L 7-31

9/16/08 at Kings College           L 13-34

2021 ODAC Football Preseason Poll

1 Randolph-Macon (6) 36 pts.

2 Hampden-Sydney 27 pts.

3 Bridgewater 26 pts.

4 Washington and Lee (1) 25 pts.

5 Shenandoah 14 pts.

6 Ferrum 13 pts.

7 Guilford 6 pts. 

Returning All-Conference Performers

R-MC returns several All-ODAC selections from this past spring.

Off. Player of the Year: QB Presley Egbers

First Team

QB Presley Egbers

OL Will Jackson

OL Nehemiah Nixon

PK Chris Vidal

DL Tyler DeBerry

LB Matt Vergara

DB Cade Jones 

Second Team

WR David Wallis

OL Connor Denning

OL Tre Fortune

DB Stephen Richardson

Double Century Mark

Twice last season, R-MC had two players rush for more than 100 yards in the same game. Against Bridgewater, running back Justin DeLeon had 22 carries for 109 yards and quarterback Presley Egbers rushed 24 times for 103 yards. At Shenandoah, Egbers rushed for 174 yards on 19 carries. Running back Nick Hale ran 18 times for 102 yards. 

ODAC Titles

For the 2020 season, played this past spring, R-MC claimed its 12th ODAC title and third in five years. The Yellow Jackets won ODAC crowns in 1976, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1993, 1997, 2008, 2016, 2018 and 2020. In the 46-year history of the ODAC, R-MC has won the most championships with 12. Pedro Arruza has led the Yellow Jackets to four titles, while Ted Keller and Jim Blackburn followed with three ODAC titles as R-MC head coach. Scott Boone and Joe Riccio both led the Yellow Jackets to one title.

D3football.com Top 25, preseason

1    MH-Baylor (10)    5-0       12-1  595

2    Mount Union (6)   4-0       11-1  580

3    N Central (Ill.) (4) 0-0       14-1  566

4    UW-Whitewtr (1) 0-0       13-2  565

5    Wheaton (Ill.) (4)  0-0       12-1  534

6    St. John's               0-0       12-2  458

7    Hardin-Simmons   4-1       8-2    438

8    Salisbury               2-0       11-1  397

9    UW-Oshkosh        0-0       8-3    382

10  Linfield                 0-0       8-2    336

11  John Carroll           2-1       9-1    322

12  Delaware Valley   0-0       11-2  318

13  Muhlenberg           0-0       13-1  279

14  Central                  2-0       10-2  207

15  Union                    0-0       11-1  202

16  Bethel                    0-0       8-2    200

17  R-MC                   5-0       9-2    184

18  Wartburg               0-0       10-2  181

19  Wash. & Jefferson 3-1       8-3    173

20  Westminster (Pa.) 5-0       8-3    151

21  Chapman               0-0       10-1  143

22  Brockport              0-0       9-3    131

23  Aurora                   3-0       9-2    120

24  Heidelberg            4-1       6-4    103

25  Berry                     4-0       9-2    75